Matthew Poitras ready for roster spot battle after promising rookie campaign
During the 2023-2024 campaign, Matthew Poitras showed flashes of being a building block for the future. However, his season ended early in February when he underwent shoulder surgery. After a busy offseason for the Bruins, Poitras will have to fight for a spot, and it is a challenge he is ready for.
In 33 games last season, the former second-round pick recorded five goals and dished out 10 assists. The talented 20-year-old also added one game-winning goal to his resume and was not afraid of sacrificing his body, blocking 15 shots. While Poitras made a good first impression, he needed to add some muscle this offseason to handle the grind of a full season and has arrived at camp noticeably stronger.
Over the next few weeks, the Ontario native will try to make it hard for the Bruins not to include him on the Opening Night roster. The Bruins will open their season on October 8 against the Florida Panthers.
"I want to be here, and I want to show that I belong here and that they don't really have a choice, you got to keep me here," Poitras said on Thursday.
While Poitras has proven he can be a solid NHL player, he has a daunting task ahead. The Bruins could send him to Providence to start the season, which was not an option last year. A stint in the AHL would also give him time to get up to speed as he returns from shoulder surgery. However, Poitras is determined to start the season with the Bruins and build on his rookie campaign.
As roster battles begin, Poitras is in the running for the third-line center spot. His competition includes Georgii Merkulov and PTO candidate Tyler Johnson. The Bruins bottom six will also include veterans Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie. Over the next few weeks, Poitras will be a player to watch as he has shown in the past that he has a knack for defying expectations.
